Combined bench and table



Sept. 13, 1949. c. o. LARSON 2,431,935

COMBINED BENCH AND TABLE Filed Nov. 2'7, 1944 2 Shee'ts-Sheet l IN VEN TOR.

Se t, m, 1949. (1.0. LARSON 3 coMBINEn anucn AND TABLE Filed Nov. 27, 1944 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 mil INVENTOR.

Patented Sept. 13, 1949 UNI-217E131? STATES oi COMBINED BENCHAN-D TABLE Charleen. Larson, Sterlifigillii? Application'November 27, 1944-Srial- Ne 5653301- 2 Claims. (01155 43? This-inventionrelates-toa bench' and table cdmbination.-=

One" of -the objects bf the present invention is to pr'ovide' a knockdown bench and table combination comprising two benches, each provided with a seat and supporting legs and a pair' of uprights and a back' hingedly-connected to-the upriehts at'poi'nts intermediate the width of the back end in such a manner that the back may be" shifted from a substantially vertical position Where it' acts as aback 'for the seat, to a sub-'- stantiatlyihorizontar-positibn Where it functions as a table top; therebeingimeans' for holdingthe back in such horizontaP-p'osition.'-

Another'o'b'jectofthe invention-resides in providihg 'a pair of such-benches which may be disposed in spaced apart relation and pivotally connected 1 intermediate their tops and bottoms to uprightsso that whn' -the backs "are shifted to horizontal position their inner edges Will be ccnfronting and contiguous; and held 'soby' means"- carried-" by. the backs of' each "pair of benches whereby they rmay be 'lo'cked'with' their edges in confronting", contiguous re1ation.-

Another object ofthe invention is to provide a continuous ta'bie top t betweenr-th'e benches; the width cf which iseqdaI-to twice'the Width of the backs.

Yet another'obj'ebt' oi the invention resides'in providing a ber'iclr having"a"shiftable back Which is pivotal'iy mounted betweerr'the uprights' to one side of thecentraraxis of the back so that the greater: weight of the longer "portiorr or heavier half of "the back wii'l nori-nally cause the back to swing to substantially ve'r-ticai position; whereby the same'acts-as'a backj-blit which can be'shiited to horizontal position' and locked in such- "position to provi'de a table tops" Yet another object of the' invention re'sid'es in providing:- a knocli'd'cwn bench of the foregoing character wherein the Iegs; -the back,'*=and the uprights can :b' qu ickiy dismamled; 'for storage pur poses.

Another" object orthe inventien is te provide the 'foregeing type" Of'bhc wherein-the 'back'is detachable as one" piece and'the'two" leas are removable from the seat, leaving-ethe-seat intact; and wherein all 'four sections m'ay bestacked in-a small space.

Another object of the" invention is w -p1"o'vide' e charaeter Wherein'the I, carriedfbyth e bench so thatthe bee may sw ng slightly in sitting positiontd' com od'at hefba'c'k' o'f thefsitter.

Yetianothe "o c'tof he vefitjion"resides in providiii'g' l'a, be e 1;- e'e er precuttimber's eeee dwere ieia em t ritsIIbbit'sJnd hooks, arrange fso that theentfrbiih 'm'aylbe'ass'er'zi bled ver quickly fi fn tfi pI ut fdiiIiS and the hardware.

Otfir and fiirtHfbe epe'eeent "if trie y refhelriihgl' the'tetle'tepi'm herizentai ds' 2 'an'd' ifspac'ed apart U 4 iiegfleiisefid 8; the latter in theif orrnf ofT an invr ted y'f and to receive therebettveefi aninmind'ubright "I 0; It 'will be understocd-that thesfubfig'h ts' ere arranged in pairs; one at each end. of 'the" bench. Shite-hie bo lts and wing nnts I 2, and lfi serve to hold the twoll egst andfl the upfright lflbetween the-feet 2 and ll; This construction 'is duplicated ateach The hardware clan ibf I 'is 1513)}?flied; air eachejend of; the legs 6 and 8 for l rolding thegn ip a s sembled-position, as h r sin re 4- .T s e d u e ends of fthe legs 5 :8 are; cut-al on'gegh line 26 whichiis fa 1ine formedatan angle ,to the inner they lie in a commonplane and the hardware clamp l8, formed of sheet; metal, embraces the common assembled sides of the two legs 6 and 6, as shown in Figure 5, and has a flange 23 which embraces the narrower side of each one of the legs 6 and 8, as shown clearly in Figure 1. Suitable screws 24 and 26 pass through the hardware clamp 18 into each of the legs. In addition, a horizontal brace 28 is bolted to the inner faces of the tops of the legs 6 and 8, as shown in Figure 5, the bolt 38 passing therethrough and through the clamp l8 and being held in secure position by the thumb nut 32. This horizontal extension brace 28 projects outwardly at one side of the bench, as shown at 36 in Figure 4, and connects by means of a bolt and wing nut 38 to the upright ID to support the upper end of said upright.

Each bench has a top 42 which overlies the junction of the upper portion of the legs. This top is secured in position by bolts 44 which pass downwardly through the top and through a flange 46 on the hardware, being held in secured position by thumb nuts 48. There are two of these bolts 44 which pass downwardly through the central end portions of the bench top 42 and engage the broad flange 46 of the hardware, as shown in Figures 4 and 5. In addition, right angled base fittings 58 are fastened to the underside of the top 42 and to the upper vertical side of the horizontal brace 36. This forms a rigid connection between the bench top 42 and its horizontal brace 36. Both ends of the bench are constructed similarly.

A combination back and table top is provided for the upper portion of each bench. Each back comprises preferably a pair of boards 52 and 54, or if desired a single board of the same width, and each pair of boards is held together by a transverse rigidifying member 56 which may be made either of metal or wood, but preferably wood. The two boards are rigidly secured to the cross member 56 by means of the L-shaped or right angled fittings 58 which are secured by screws in each angular leg thereof as at 68 and. 62 to the transverse member 56 and to the table top. The transverse member 56 is provided with a horizontal bore at one side of its center and a pivot pin 64 in the form of a bolt passes therethrough and through a registering aperture in the top of the upright support It] to form a pivotal connection. Wing nut 65 serves to hold the back in pivoted position but permits it to swing so that its heavier end 66 will automatically shift downwardly to the dotted line position shown in Figure 4. The underside of the cross bar support 56 is provided at each end with an eye screw 68 to receive an elongated hook 18 pivoted as at 88 to the upright ID. The hook 1D is preferably an eight inch hook and its end lockingly engages the eye 68 to hold the back 66 in horizontal position. It is understood that only one hook positioned at either end of support 56 need be used.

In addition, each back is provided with either an eye 82 or one may be provided with an eye 82 and the other with a pivotal hook 84. When two of the benches are placed in the spaced position shown in Figure 4 and the backs 66 are shifted to horizontal position and locked in such position by the hooks III, the confronting edges of the table tops will be contiguous, as shown in Figure 4, so as to form a continuous table top of double the width. In this position the tops may be locked between hook and eye 82 and teams 84, which thus maintains them in contiguous relation.

When it is not desired to use the table top the hooks l0 and 84 are released, whereupon the back 66 will automatically swing downwardly to the dotted line position.

It is to be noted that in a sitting position the back 66 by reason of its pivotal mounting may swing slightly toward and away from the supporting uprights III, which thus accommodates the back of the sitter and is of considerable advantage and use.

Furthermore it will be noted that the back may be removed from its uprights Ill as one single piece, this being done by removing the wing nut 65 and removing the bolts. It will be further noted that when the fittings 50, which if desired may interconnect the table top with the upper portion of each of the legs, are not desired to be used, simply by removing the bolts 44 and the bolts 38 the legs 6 and 8 may be removed from the bench seat and by removing the bolts l2 and I4 the bottom feet may be removed for storage purposes.

It will thus be seen that by providing the necessary precut lumber to form the seats, the legs, the feet of the uprights, and the backs, and by providing four pieces of the hardware clamps I8 and a sufficient number of L-shaped rigidifying fittings 50, together with bolts, screws, wing nuts and the hooks, I provide a complete knockdown set which may be shipped to the point of use and there assembled for instant and ready use.

Obviously the invention is not limited to the specific details of construction disclosed herein but is capable of other modifications and changes without departing from the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A bench comprising two feet, each composed of a pair of parallel horizontal strips of lumber, a pair of inverted V-shaped legs having their bottoms detachably connected therebetween by bolts and wing nuts, a sheet metal clamp surrounding the converging upper ends of said legs and bolted thereto to hold the same together, a horizontal cross support interconnecting said upper portions of said legs and projecting at one end outwardly beyond said legs, a board bench top bolted to a horizontal flange of said clamp, rigidifying L-shaped braces interconnecting the underside of said bench top and the side of said horizontal brace relatively, a, long upstanding bar pivotally connected between said pair of parallel strips and connected to said horizontal cross support, and a back member having cross supports at its end perforated to form a pivotal axis, and a bolt passing through each back cross support held by a Wing nut forming a pivotal support, said support being to one side of the center of the back, whereby said back is adapted to swing down to vertical position, said back being shiftable to horizontal position, and means to maintain said back in said horizontal posiion.

2. In a combined table and bench assembly a pair of benches adapted to be spaced apart a predetermined distance, each bench having two pairs of inverted V'-shaped legs, a pair of sheet metal clamps, one surrounding the converging upper ends of each pair of legs and bolted thereto to hold the same together, a pair of horizontal cross supports, one interconnecting the upper portions of each pair of legs and projecting at one end outwardly beyond said legs, a bench top bolted to horizontal flanges on each of said sheet metal clamps, a pair of bars extending upward- 1y at an angle, one at each end of said bench, means connecting the lower ends of said bars to said legs and means connecting the midportions of said bars to said horizontal cross supports, a back member pivoted intermediate its width to said pair of bars at their upper ends whereby said back is pivotable from a substantially vertical position on said bars to a horizontal position, and means carried by each back for interlocking it with the back of the other of said pair of benches in contiguous and juxtaposed horizontal position to form a substantially con- 1 tinuous table top with the seats disposed below and parallel to an outside edge of the table top.

CHARLES O. LARSON.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 365,698 Merkel June 28, 1887 383,231 Marr May 22, 1888 446,632 Easte Feb. 17, 1891 769,354 Nielsen Sept. 6, 1904 893,100 Rosensteel et a1. July 14, 1908 1,218,322 Sandell Mar. 6, 1917 1,401,083 Jurkovich Dec. 20, 1921 1,792,737 Greenstreet Feb. 17, 1931 

